Combined thread cutter and holder



(No Model.)

' L. A. PRATT.

COMBINED THREAD CUTTER AND HOLDER No. 368,548. Patented Aug. 16, 1887.

tn'vnnnrr A. PRATT, or BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

COMBINED THREAD CUTTER AND HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 368,548, dated August 16, 18187.

Application filed April 21. 1887. Serial No. 235,670. (No model.)

To alt whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, LEVERETT A. PRATT, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of Micht gan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thread Gutters and Holders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in thread cutters and holders, and is designed more particularly as an improvement on the combined thread cutter and holder described and claimed in applicationfor Letters Patent No. 225,261, allowed March 25, 1887.

It is often necessary and convenient when using a spool oft-bread for hand-sewing to place the same upon the holding-spindle for use upon the sewing-machine, and when a cutting and holding device is attached to aspoo1- opening in the usual manner the opening thereof is obstructed and the removal of the cutting and holding device is necessary before the spool can be placed upon the holdingspindle, which causes great annoyance and delay; and my invention consists in a thin metal arm provided on its outer end with cutting and holding devices, and secured to the end of the spool by portions cut from the inner end of the arm, turned at right angles therewith, and passed into the spool-opening, the said portions being formed of the metal removed fromthe portion covering the spool-opening, whereby the opening is left free for the passage of the spool-spindle of a sewing-machine; and the objects of this invention are, first, to construct a device for cutting and holding the thread that will be cheaper and more easily manufactured, and that may be firmly and readily attached to the spool; second, to so construct and arrange the device that it may be attached to the spool-opening in a manner to leave the opening through the spool free for the spool-spindle of a sewing-machine to pass entirely and freely through the opening without coming in contact with or interfering with the thread cutting and holding device. I attain these objects by means of the devicesillus trated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of a spool of thread as placed upon a sewingmachine, and showing my improved device attached thereto. Fig. 2 is an end view of a spool with my improvement attached thereto. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the under side of the cutting and holding device. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device in a modified form. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of Fig. 4.

(4 represents a spool, and b is the thread upon the spool.

c is an arm placed upon the end of the spool with one end projecting just beyond the periphery of the spool, and is provided with a notch, j, in one side edge ofthe projecting end and with a slit, 11, extending partially across the arm from the bottom of the notch j. Upon the opposite side edge of the projecting end is formed a notch, It, provided with cutting edges. An opening, h, is formed in the arm near its opposite or inner end and opposite the spool-opening d.

In forming the opening h the material within theopeningis dividedlengthwise ofthe arm and slightly diagonal, and also cut from the arm on the sides of the opening. This formstwo portions,eandf,eachhavinga wide end at one side of the opening I) and a narrow end at the opposite side of the opening. The narrow ends of these portions are severed from the arm, and the portions bent downward at right angles with the arm and with their wide portions or ends adhering to the edges of the opening. This forms the portions 6 and f, so that the outer and opposite edges of each are at right angles in both directions or perpendicular with the arm, and of a suitable distance between the edges to slightly engage with the walls of the spool opening when placed therein. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the length ofthese portions 6 andf may be longer than the width of the opening h, if desired, the narrow ends of the pieces being out far ther into the arm and the portions turned downward, leaving the wider ends thereof adhering to the edges of the opening in'the same position as before described.

The operation of the device is that the pieces 6 and f are passed into the end of the spooLopening d, and the outer edges of each engage with and slightly out into the walls of the opening, which secures the arm a in position with its outer end, containing the Slibi and the notch is, projecting just beyond the periphery of the spool. The thread is then unwound to the desired length from the spool and passed into the slit i, which is slightly smaller at its inner end, and the spool is then farther turned, bringing the thread into the cuttingedges of the notch 70, which severs the thread and leaves the free end thereof retained within the slit 1'. v

The advantages of this device are that no additional material is needed to form the portions 6 and f, and all its parts can be formed by one movement of a stamping-die, and no skill or extra exertion is required to place the .device in position upon the spool end, and at the same time the attaching device securely fastens the arm in position and allows the spool-spindle of a sewingmachine to pass freely through the spool-opening without obstrnction, so that the thread cutter and holder may be upon either end of the spool and operate in the same manner.

The device may be easily and quickly removed from one spool and securely attached to another, and the opening h allows the spool to be grasped with the thumb and finger in the ordinary Way for unwinding the thread therefrom.

I am aware that an arm having cutting devices on its outer end and secured to a spool by springpieces cut from the arm and bent inwardly is in use; but with this device the spool-opening is closed by the portion between the spring covering the spool-opening, which prevents the spool from being placed upon a sewing-machine without removing the cutting device from the spool, and this construction I do not claim, as with my improved device the inwardly-bent pieces are formed of the portion which would cover the spool-opening, which leaves the spool-opening free for the passage of the holding-spindle of a sewingmachine without removing the device from the spool, and the opposite perpendicular edges of the portions 6 and f engage with or out into the opposite side walls of the spoolopening, which firmly secure the device to the spool without the use of springs.

Having described my improvement, What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

As a new article of manufacture, a thread cutter and holder consisting of a thin strip or arm of metal provided on one side edge of one end with a transverse slit, a, cut partially across the arm, and on the opposite side edge of the arm with a notch, 7c, having cuttingedges, and provided with an opening, h, near the opposite end of the arm, and having the holding portions 0 and f, projecting at right angles with the arm and formed of the ma terial removed from the opening, and with their opposite outside edges perpendicular to the arm, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEVERETT A. PRATT.

Vitnesses:

J AS. E. THOMAS, WV. H. POWER. 

